Ester's Border Collie, Mollie, loves to play. She regularly meets us at the fence gate with one of her toys such as this rope toy. Ester took the above photo this morning and we are pleased to see her growing interest in photography. This week she had her first photo published in a company newsletter.

"And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also" (2 Timothy 2:2).

Yesterday I was visiting with Greg Esh, a friend of ours, who was excited about showing me an item he recently acquired. He walked over to the corner of his office and picked up a leather scabbard from which he pulled out a real sword. Written on the sword was this inscription from 2 Timothy 2:2: "Commit these to faithful men". It was a gift from Greg's pastor honoring him for serving many years as a leader in the church. Now that's a gift I suppose most men would really appreciate!

It brings to mind a visit with Floyd Miles, a friend I met when I lived in New England. Several years ago he served a church in Indianapolis and at the time I had the opportunity to speak to his congregation. Prior to the service, when we prayed in his office, he showed me his "armor of God."

Many years ago I heard a short message that I found personally challenging that has had a lasting impact on my life. A pastor was speaking to the students at a Bible College. He candidly shared with them, "I may not be very handsome, I may not be the most dynamic speaker, I may not be musically gifted or have other characteristics normally associated with "success" in ministry."

Then he lowered his voice and said with great conviction, "But one thing I can be is faithful." I sure hope these young people took that message in. It's a good word and a vital challenge for young people preparing for Christ's service. It's a good challenge for all of us, wherever we are at in life.

Faithfulness is very under-rated today and is often overlooked, though it should never be taken for granted. Few of us would have any trouble recalling examples of unfaithfulness. Many thousands of dedicated pastors and laypeople serve God week after week with little acclaim but they are faithful.

In the afternoon yesterday I visited with Dan Wagner who serves as supervisor in his company. For thirty years he and his wife have led services in nursing homes and rescue missions, hardly glamorous fields for ministry. But Dan's been faithful.

In his final book the Apostle Paul gave instructions to Timothy about preparing the next generation who would bear witness for Christ to the world. Although there are certainly many characteristics that are important he emphasizes just one; "faithfulness". Other versions use the word, "reliable".

Down through the ages of the church each generation has had devoted servants of Christ who have faithfully plugged along in service for the Lord. Is your pastor reliable? Does he faithfully preach God's Word week after week? Does he "earnestly contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints?" or is he "blown here and there by every wind of strange doctrine?" Can he be counted upon? If so you are blessed. Let him know you appreciate his faithfulness.

Whether you are a minister or a lay person, are you faithful? Faithfulness makes a difference to those whom you influence and it matters a great deal to God.

Be encouraged today,

Stephen & Brooksyne WeberDaily prayer:Father, we who have received Your grace, place our faith in You. We choose to walk uprightly with integrity and conviction. Our words and actions declare the pure, unadulterated counsel of Your Holy Word to other faithful leaders, trusting them to pass on that which has been entrusted to us. In doing so we are faithful stewards of that which You commanded of us through the great commission: "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every nation...". We do this through Christ Jesus our Lord in whose name we pray. Amen.

The flower photo we share today is an example of a personal hobby we both have. We like to repurpose old articles we either have saved or attained. Several years ago I found the old garden cart along the road free. We crammed it into the van and have found it very useful both to haul stuff and as a display cart. Brooksyne enjoys reviving plants and flowers, especially those on clearance at Lowes! Several years ago we remodeled our bathroom but I kept the old mirrors from the medicine cabinet and stored them up in our barn loft. Then I asked some friends at a home improvement company we serve to see if they could salvage some windows from an old farmhouse they were renovating. I placed the mirrors behind the old window, hung the frame on our fence and we have an interesting garden accent (to me anyway!)

Are our daily encouragement messages a blessing to you? Each weekday morning Brooksyne and I prepare these messages and distribute them at no cost to you and many others all over the world. We ask you to consider supporting Daily Encouragement Net so that we can continue to prepare and provide this daily resource which is accessed by believers and seekers all over the world. Daily Encouragement Net relies solely on the generosity and financial support of its readers and podcast listeners. See here for more information on supporting this ministry. Gifts are tax deductible. 2012 financial offerings to Daily Encouragement Net as of 8/30/12: $11,311.00. We express thanks to all who support our ministry!

SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION

Were you forwarded this edition of Daily Encouragement Net? If you desire you can receive your own free! To receive these "Daily Encouragement" devotionals each Monday-Friday through email see this page to subscribe. These messages are never sent by us unsolicited. It was sent to you because you either signed up to receive it OR a friend forwarded it to you. You can also subscribe to the rss feed or as an email subscription through feedburner.

Cancel: We respect and value your time and privacy. If you no longer desire to receive these messages you can remove your address from the list by merely using the link automatically inserted by the mailing list software at the very bottom of each email message. (To change addresses cancel your old address and then join again using your new address.)

Weekly Version: The weekly version is intended for those who may not check their email regularly or who may desire less frequent mailings. It is Friday's message with a link to previous messages. To receive the free weekly version, send a blank email to this address.

Daily Encouragement on Facebook and Twitter: The daily message and prayer on Facebook.The daily message and prayer onTwitter.Reader Survey: Please take a few minutes to assist us in improving our ministry effectiveness by filling out this online reader survey. To take the survey click here. Please feel free to pass these messages on!

Our other blogs:"A Daily Prayer" - A blog simply posting the daily prayer. We keep this up each day since it's merely the prayer from the Daily Encouragement Net message!"A Little Foolishness" - Humor/satire blog (a great outlet for non-serious writing but at times with a subtle message!) (Note: This material is satire!)"Clear Minded" - Longer, periodic articles on specific issues impacting the faithful believer and church. (Actually this is my intent but I haven't donemuch with it!)"Hymns of Hope" - Brooksyne along with two friends made a CD using classic hymns. Brooksyne tells the background story of the 11 hymns. All of these songs are also available for download on the site.

Personal Mission Statement"I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and I make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and to prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."

Daily Encouragement is issued Monday-Friday. To make sure you continue to receive these e-mails in your Inbox (so they're not sent to a junk folder), please add scweber@dailyencouragement.net to your address book or safe sender list. You are receiving these recurring messages as a subscriber to Daily Encouragement Net because you signed up on our website or otherwise requested it unless someone forwarded the message to you. If you desire to unsubscribe use the link below. However, please do not use this link unless your address is the subscribed address below as you will otherwise unsubscribe the person who forwarded it to you!

In the course of our travels through Lancaster County among our favorite places to stop is the Village Farm Market along Rt 322 east of Ephrata PA. It's on the lower level of a bank barn. On our last visit I especially noticed the ceiling, which is actually the exposed beams from the barn floor above and the decorative baskets that cover it.Listen to this message on your audio player.

"Energy-Givers"

"Gaius, whose hospitality I and the whole church here enjoy, sends you his greetings" (Romans 16:23).

A popular new consumer product the last several years (as best as I recall) is the "energy drink". In partaking you supposedly get a burst of energy. It must sell well since you see it practically everywhere. Yesterday we were at a store here in Lancaster Country that had a full shelf of these drinks.

Earlier this month one purveyor of this product, "5-hour energy", had a booth at the Ohio State Fair and I received a free sample. I didn't necessarily feel unenergetic at the time but decided to try it anyway. It felt like I got an energy jolt but maybe that's just because I thought I should! I remember studying into the late hours while in college and looking for anything that would keep me awake.

These drinks may give a few hours of extra energy for one who has grown weary driving a long distance or studying into the wee hours of the morning. But today I want to consider a particular group of people; people who energize us not for just a few hours but over a lifetime.

About ten years ago I met a corporate officer from the company I worked with at that time. We visited various companies in the area where I served as a corporate chaplain manager. He later joined us for dinner in our home. It was such an uplifting evening and after taking him back to his hotel Brooksyne and I began to reflect on the evening, both expressing that Larry was such an "energy giver". He expressed personal interest in us, in our ministry, shared about how God had worked in his life. You know the kind of person I'm describing - one who knows how to listen and when to speak in conversation, one who's more interested in others than himself. He's our friend to this day and the type of person who brings a smile to your face when speaking his name.

Think about people like this whom you know. Some are "energy givers", others are "energy drainers". You've probably heard the expression, "Some people brighten a room when they enter, others when they leave." To the left is a photo of Jim and Dorothy Schmidt, friends from Ocean City, New Jersey, who always brighten the room with their enthusiasm and joy. Jim's keen sense of humor could also be added to his energy giving resume'.

In his letters to the churches Paul often expressed heartfelt affection toward particular individuals who were like those we describe as energy givers. They not only blessed and energized him in his work for the Lord, but also the rest of the body of Christ. According to the daily text he and the whole church were enjoying the hospitality of one named Gaius. Gaius is one of the few believers that Paul baptized in Corinth. Surely Paul had an outstanding, long-term relationship with this brother, who likely was also one of the first converts to Christ in Corinth.

He had stayed faithful and now opened his home to Paul while he stayed there. Gaius had distinguished himself for his hospitality not only to Paul but to the other believers in the Corinthian church, as well. In fact his name means, "I am glad". He surely must have been an "energy giver". And through the years I've met quite a few people like Gaius. Just being around them spiritually energizes.

Sharing hospitality is a wonderful dimension of God's plan for our lives. As Christians we often call it "fellowshipping together" and I maintain that an essential component of our Christian development takes place in the realm of fellowship, as we interface with one another in our homes, churches and other places of community with true believers. I sure hope you have some folks in your life like Gaius! Brooksyne and I have so many, including many of you dear friends who read our daily messages, that we consider ourselves tremendously blessed. I encourage each of you to be an energy giver to those in your circle of influence on this day and everyday!

Be encouraged today,

Stephen & Brooksyne Weber Daily prayer:Father, we want to be set apart as a people who care about others, regularly expressing care to them as we follow the Biblical mandate that each of us should look not only to our own interests, but also to the interests of others. Paul charged his readers to have the same attitude as Christ Jesus who is the supreme example of putting other's needs before His own. May we be more interested in giving energy to others than taking it for ourselves, for when we refresh others, we ourselves are refreshed. We are replenished as we give to others, for Your reservoir never runs dry and we thank You for it in Jesus' name. Amen.

Brooksyne's Note: We've described in part what an energy giver is. Perhaps we should give the contrast meaning of what an energy drainer is: one who is very argumentative, monopolizes every conversation, finds fault with anything and everyone, only talks about himself, boasts endlessly about his achievements or possessions, feels his opinion is always the right one and worst of all, doesn't take a breath between sentences to let you excuse yourself from the energy draining situation you're stuck in! I'm sure you could add to the list. (I used the masculine pronoun for ease of writing purposes. Of course there are both male and female energy drainers as well as energy givers.)

The Village Farm Market is owned and operated by an old-order Mennonite group. Keith, the owner, is an earnest follower of Christ and told me he recalls when it was a steer barn! The store is filled with fresh produce, baked goods and deli items made fresh at the market. They provide ample samples! What I especially like is this mission statement."Our Mission: At Village Farm Market we set the example of a Christian - for each other, customers and the community. We inspire individuals to find self-worth and fulfillment by providing a meaningful workplace."

The entrance to the Village Farm Market.For the serious canner!

I think they mean it.

Today's Suggested Musicand Supplemental Resource

"Blessed Be The Tie That Binds"Video Good old-fashioned congregational singing!

"Blessed Be The Tie That Binds"Video Smokey Mountain instrumental with photos of Cades Cove in Great Smokey Mountain National Park, I believe.

Are our daily encouragement messages a blessing to you? Each weekday morning Brooksyne and I prepare these messages and distribute them at no cost to you and many others all over the world. We ask you to consider supporting Daily Encouragement Net so that we can continue to prepare and provide this daily resource which is accessed by believers and seekers all over the world. Daily Encouragement Net relies solely on the generosity and financial support of its readers and podcast listeners. See here for more information on supporting this ministry. Gifts are tax deductible. 2012 financial offerings to Daily Encouragement Net as of 8/29/12: $10,961.00. We express thanks to all who support our ministry!

SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION

Were you forwarded this edition of Daily Encouragement Net? If you desire you can receive your own free! To receive these "Daily Encouragement" devotionals each Monday-Friday through email see this page to subscribe. These messages are never sent by us unsolicited. It was sent to you because you either signed up to receive it OR a friend forwarded it to you. You can also subscribe to the rss feed or as an email subscription through feedburner.

Cancel: We respect and value your time and privacy. If you no longer desire to receive these messages you can remove your address from the list by merely using the link automatically inserted by the mailing list software at the very bottom of each email message. (To change addresses cancel your old address and then join again using your new address.)

Weekly Version: The weekly version is intended for those who may not check their email regularly or who may desire less frequent mailings. It is Friday's message with a link to previous messages. To receive the free weekly version, send a blank email to this address.

Daily Encouragement on Facebook and Twitter: The daily message and prayer on Facebook.The daily message and prayer onTwitter.Reader Survey: Please take a few minutes to assist us in improving our ministry effectiveness by filling out this online reader survey. To take the survey click here. Please feel free to pass these messages on!

Our other blogs:"A Daily Prayer" - A blog simply posting the daily prayer. We keep this up each day since it's merely the prayer from the Daily Encouragement Net message!"A Little Foolishness" - Humor/satire blog (a great outlet for non-serious writing but at times with a subtle message!) (Note: This material is satire!)"Clear Minded" - Longer, periodic articles on specific issues impacting the faithful believer and church. (Actually this is my intent but I haven't donemuch with it!)"Hymns of Hope" - Brooksyne along with two friends made a CD using classic hymns. Brooksyne tells the background story of the 11 hymns. All of these songs are also available for download on the site.

Personal Mission Statement"I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and I make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and to prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."

Daily Encouragement is issued Monday-Friday. To make sure you continue to receive these e-mails in your Inbox (so they're not sent to a junk folder), please add scweber@dailyencouragement.net to your address book or safe sender list. You are receiving these recurring messages as a subscriber to Daily Encouragement Net because you signed up on our website or otherwise requested it unless someone forwarded the message to you. If you desire to unsubscribe use the link below. However, please do not use this link unless your address is the subscribed address below as you will otherwise unsubscribe the person who forwarded it to you!

"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin" (Matthew 6:28). "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own" (Matthew 6:34).

Oh, what peace we often forfeit,Oh, what needless pain we bear,All because we do not carryEverything to God in prayer!

A phrase we use in chaplaincy but it's true in any type of ministry where care is extended to others: "You're either in the midst of a problem, just coming out of one or going into another!" That being the case, most people are well acquainted with worry. One description I read is that "worry is thoughts, images and emotions of a negative nature in which mental attempts are made to avoid anticipated potential threats". Once we acquire the habit of worrying it is very difficult to stop. Essentially worry is mistrust. We're acting as though God isn't big enough to handle our problems. "Why do you worry?" is a heart probing question that Jesus asks and then answers later in the context of a rebuke, "O you of little faith".

Worry is an ancient human condition. It seems that people have always had something to worry about so Jesus addressed the matter head-on in His "Sermon on the Mount". It's a good portion to memorize and I've preached on it several times. But today let's consider the phrase, "Each day has enough trouble of its own."

What an honest assessment of life from our Lord and perhaps a bit of humor as well. Every day does have some trouble, doesn't it. Certainly some days more than others so we can be thankful for the less troublesome days. If we're not presently undergoing troubles in our own lives, it's sure to be present in those we care about. And if your circle of association is small, merely watch the news where we see trouble circling the globe, yet made very personal in those undergoing its discomfort.

A recurring theme throughout Scripture is that believers are to live one day at a time. God calls us to trust in Him day by day, moment by moment. He encourages us not to look ahead to "possible" troubles, but to realize His grace is here for us at this moment, this hour.

We can't store up grace any more than the Israelites were permitted to store up God's daily provision of manna in the wilderness. God chose to deliver fresh manna daily and He chooses to provide fresh grace daily as the need arises. Jeremiah spoke of the mercies of the Lord that are "new every morning". So, if you have a new trial you will also experience a new mercy from God to undergird you and guide your response to the challenge at hand. His loving care is steadfast and sure. You can rely on that today, tomorrow and always.

"Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him How I proved Him o'er and o'er Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus O for grace to trust Him more."

Be encouraged today,

Stephen & Brooksyne WeberDaily prayer:Father, You are the Great Provider who meets all our needs. There is nothing we lack when we commit our ways to You and ask You to provide for us. You know what we have need of before we ask it, but You are pleased that we bring it to You and acknowledge You to be the One who provides for all our natural, physical, and spiritual needs. When our hearts are secure, we will have no fear, for in the end we will look in triumph on our foes. That's because we serve You, our faithful, caring, and generous God, who faithfully watches over us providing us with Your daily mercies. We thank You as we pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

The Blessing of Peaches

One of our favorite fresh fruits is the peach and there's just nothing like biting into a sweet juicy peach!

We headed over to our friend Nelson Heisey's large peach orchard for fresh peaches. He was pleased to get his gator and drive me out to see the fruit-filled trees.

The trees are well laden with low hanging fruit.

Nelson sells his produce along the road using a self service honor system. He has a good reputation and these peaches will quickly be gone.

Lancaster County peaches

This year apart from enjoying fresh peaches Brooksyne canned peaches for pie filling and peach jam.

Last night Brooksyne made a sumptuous southern peach cobbler which took us back in memory to our years of living in Missouri and Oklahoma when peach and blackberry cobbler were favorite desserts especially in the summer months. (See below for recipe)For anyone interested we shared a more complete set of photos from last year's peach prep here.

2 cups flour1 teaspoon salt3/4 cup Crisco1/3 cup ice water In a mixing bowl, combine flour, salt and Crisco. Mix until crumbly, add water and mix well. On a floured surface, knead the mixture several times for about 3 minutes. Cut mixture in half, form into two flat discs, cover with plastic wrap, and chill.

4 pounds fresh peaches(about 7 to 8 large peaches)2 cups sugar (or less according to sweetness of peaches)4 tablespoons flour or clear jell*1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon1/2 teaspoon nutmeg1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract1/2 cup butter, divided. Preheat oven to 350. Peel and slice peaches. Toss peaches into large saucepan. Add sugar, flour, spices and ¼ C. butter. Simmer for 7 minutes or till juice is thickened; remove from heat to cool. Add vanilla or almond extract. Remove dough from fridge and roll out one crust on a floured surface into a rectangle. Place in a greased 11x9 baking dish. Pour filling over the crust. Roll out second disc on floured surface and cut into strips. Place strips in lattice pattern on top of peach mixture. Dab remaining softened butter on crust strips with a brush. Sprinkle buttered lattice with a mixture of cinnamon and sugar. Coarse sugar gives a nice finished look. Bake for 30-40 minutes until golden brown. Cool for about 10 minutes so crust will set.

*Clear Jell (or Thermoflo used interchangeably) is a modified food starch used in pie fillings and as a thickener, available in many bulk food stores. Its texture is superior to flour or cornstarch (in my opinion). I use it in canning and often in cooking. Make sure you purchase clear jell not dutch jell that is used for making jams and jellies.

Are our daily encouragement messages a blessing to you? Each weekday morning Brooksyne and I prepare these messages and distribute them at no cost to you and many others all over the world. We ask you to consider supporting Daily Encouragement Net so that we can continue to prepare and provide this daily resource which is accessed by believers and seekers all over the world. Daily Encouragement Net relies solely on the generosity and financial support of its readers and podcast listeners. See here for more information on supporting this ministry. Gifts are tax deductible. 2012 financial offerings to Daily Encouragement Net as of 8/28/12: $10,861.00. We express thanks to all who support our ministry!

SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION

Were you forwarded this edition of Daily Encouragement Net? If you desire you can receive your own free! To receive these "Daily Encouragement" devotionals each Monday-Friday through email see this page to subscribe. These messages are never sent by us unsolicited. It was sent to you because you either signed up to receive it OR a friend forwarded it to you. You can also subscribe to the rss feed or as an email subscription through feedburner.

Cancel: We respect and value your time and privacy. If you no longer desire to receive these messages you can remove your address from the list by merely using the link automatically inserted by the mailing list software at the very bottom of each email message. (To change addresses cancel your old address and then join again using your new address.)

Weekly Version: The weekly version is intended for those who may not check their email regularly or who may desire less frequent mailings. It is Friday's message with a link to previous messages. To receive the free weekly version, send a blank email to this address.

Daily Encouragement on Facebook and Twitter: The daily message and prayer on Facebook.The daily message and prayer onTwitter.Reader Survey: Please take a few minutes to assist us in improving our ministry effectiveness by filling out this online reader survey. To take the survey click here. Please feel free to pass these messages on!

Our other blogs:"A Daily Prayer" - A blog simply posting the daily prayer. We keep this up each day since it's merely the prayer from the Daily Encouragement Net message!"A Little Foolishness" - Humor/satire blog (a great outlet for non-serious writing but at times with a subtle message!) (Note: This material is satire!)"Clear Minded" - Longer, periodic articles on specific issues impacting the faithful believer and church. (Actually this is my intent but I haven't donemuch with it!)"Hymns of Hope" - Brooksyne along with two friends made a CD using classic hymns. Brooksyne tells the background story of the 11 hymns. All of these songs are also available for download on the site.

Personal Mission Statement"I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and I make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and to prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."

Daily Encouragement is issued Monday-Friday. To make sure you continue to receive these e-mails in your Inbox (so they're not sent to a junk folder), please add scweber@dailyencouragement.net to your address book or safe sender list. You are receiving these recurring messages as a subscriber to Daily Encouragement Net because you signed up on our website or otherwise requested it unless someone forwarded the message to you. If you desire to unsubscribe use the link below. However, please do not use this link unless your address is the subscribed address below as you will otherwise unsubscribe the person who forwarded it to you!